Unfortunately, for many of us there are often health issues that interfere and hinder us from experiencing our favored activity without pain or limitation.

They are obstacles that hold us back from achieving our full potential on the court, the trail, the pool, ocean, yoga mat, etc.

Six weeks ago, I (Ryah) was playing some basketball, jumped for a rebound and landed on top of another player's foot resulting in a serious sprain that has sidelined me since.

Before games I should be stretching and warming up, giving me a greater chance of avoiding injuries. But, due to my imaginary excitement to dunk on people, I often rush into the game without the proper pre-workout routine.

This may sound familiar. Many of us miss out on our full potential and get injured simply due to a lack of proper self care.

However, if we began to implement good warm-ups before exercise as well as specific training, cross-training, stretching and a nutritional guidelines into our lifestyle, we can enjoy optimal performance and longevity.

Dr. Jordan Martin has been an athlete all his life and loves sports and preventative medicine. He works with patients to help them reach their optimal potential on the court, pool, mountain... what have you. He will be hosting a workshop this upcoming Thursday to share his secrets!

Izzy Gomez, a patient here at Health in Balance, has been working with us now for the last two years. She is a professional Stand Up Paddle (SUP) surfer, world class short boarder, aspiring big wave surfer and RedBull athlete. We recently got to sit down with her and get a little glimpse into her routine that has allowed her to gain that unfair advantage in the water, propelling her to the top of the ranks in the SUP world. Here's the video.